Golf tee with pop-on marker

ABSTRACT

A golf tee-marker apparatus for easy grasping and manipulation by a golfer with reduced manual dexterity includes: a golf tee with a longitudinal axis, a head, and an elongated stem extending downwardly therefrom along the axis. The stem includes a circumferential groove spaced below the head. A flat, disk-shaped marker member a central aperture is received on the stem in longitudinally spaced relation below the head. The aperture is sized and shaped to receive the stem therethrough and to releasably engage the groove.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates, in general, to the teeing up of golf balls and to marking a golf ball placement and is intended to promote improved handling of the tee and enjoyment of the game for golfers with reduced manual dexterity. When teeing off, the normal procedure is to hold tee between two fingers and hold the golf ball on the head of the tee with the thumb, and bend down to insert the stem of the tee into the ground to a desired position of the golf ball. During putting, golfers often remove their balls from the golf green than then mark the positions of their balls with flat markers. Golfers with reduced manual dexterity may find it difficult to grasp and manipulate golf tees and markers. The present invention compensates for such reduced manual dexterity, thereby promoting enjoyment of the golfing experience by the golfer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a golf tee-marker apparatus that is more easily manipulated by golfers with reduce manual dexterity. In an embodiment of the invention, a golf tee-marker apparatus comprises: a golf tee with a longitudinal axis, a golf ball supporting head, and an elongated stem extending downwardly from the head along the longitudinal axis; a marker member with an aperture formed therethrough; and the marker member being received on the stem in longitudinally spaced relation below the head with the stem extending through the aperture. The golf tee stem may have a groove, such as a circumferential groove, formed therein and spaced longitudinally below the golf tee head. The marker member may be formed as a flat, disk-shaped or annular member with the aperture formed therethrough and may be formed of a flexible or elastomeric material. The marker member aperture or through-bore receives the stem therethrough which snaps into the groove. When the marker member snaps into the groove, it is releasably secured to the stem and extends radially outwardly therefrom. The marker is spaced below the golf tee head to facilitate grasping and holding by the golfer, such as during insertion of the tee into the ground for teeing off. The elastomeric nature of the marker enables a golfer to remove it from the tee, such as for marking the position of the golfer's golf ball when an opponent or golfing partner is putting.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention.

The drawings constitute a part of this specification, include exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and illustrate various objects and features thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a golf tee-marker apparatus, according to the present invention, supporting a golf ball shown in phantom.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged exploded side elevational view of the golf tee-marker apparatus.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the golf tee-marker apparatus taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of golf tee-marker apparatus at a reduced scale, shown held by a golfer preparing to insert the tee stem into the ground.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the marker of golf tee-marker apparatus at a reduced scale after removal from the golf tee and placement on the ground to mark the ground with the previous position of the golf ball.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.

Referring to FIGS. 1-5, the reference numeral 1 generally denotes an embodiment of a golf tee-marker apparatus according to the present invention. The illustrated golf tee-marker apparatus 1 includes a golf tee 5 having a marker member 10 engaged therewith.

The golf tee 5 may be made of wood, plastic, or other materials as are known in the art and includes a head portion 15 and a cylindrical stem portion 20 with a pointed end 25. The stem 20 extends downwardly from the head 15 along a longitudinal axis A (FIG. 2). The head 15 and the stem 20 may be monolithically or integrally formed, such as by injection molding, or they may be secured together, such as by an adhesive or a friction fit or by use of a fastener (not shown), as is known in the art. The head 15 of the golf tee 5 is sized and shaped to engage and support a golf ball 27 thereon (FIGS. 1 and 4). The head 15 may be cup-shaped, funnel-shaped, or otherwise concave with either a continuous or a discontinuous side wall 30. Alternatively, the tee head 15 may be formed by a plurality or fingers or prongs (not shown). The stem 20 is generally cylindrical with a tapered or pointed bottom end 25, which facilitates insertion of the stem 20 into the ground 35 (FIG. 4). The illustrated stem 20 includes a retainer structure for releasably retaining the marker member 10 on the stem 20, such as a groove or channel 40 (FIG. 2) with an inner or bottom surface 43 of the groove 40. The illustrated groove 40 is circumferentially continuous and is spaced longitudinally below the head 15. The groove 40 is sized and shaped to receive the marker 10, such as is described in greater detail below.

The illustrated marker member 10 is a flat circular disk which may be fabricated of a tough elastomeric polymer sheet. Suitable polymers include but are not limited to acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, acrylics, polyvinyl chlorides, nylon, polycarbonates, polyethylenes, polypropylenes, polyurethanes, polyvinyl chlorides and styrene and combinations thereof. Such polymers are generally flexible in nature, and some flexibility of the marker member 10 is desirable, as described further below. The marker member 10 may be formed by any suitable process, such as by a punching process.

The marker member 10 is generally flat or planar washer-like structure and includes a central aperture or through-bore 45 with an inner surface 50. The aperture or hole 45 is centered along a marker axis B extending substantially perpendicular to planar surfaces of the marker member 10. Generally, the diameter of the aperture is slightly smaller than the diameter of the stem 20. However, due to the flexible nature of the polymer forming the marker member 10, the aperture 45 is expandable to enable sliding the marker member 10 along the stem 20 to snap into the groove 40. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the marker 10 (shown in phantom lines) is installed on the golf tee 5 by pushing it onto the golf tee stem 20. When the stem 20 is pushed through the aperture 45, an inner portion 50 of the marker body 53 that includes the aperture 45 bends or flexes downwardly, thereby extending, expanding, or deforming the inner surface 55 of the aperture 45 sufficiently to accommodate the greater diameter of the stem 20. When the aperture 45 engages the stem groove 40, the aperture inner surface 55 relaxes and snuggly engages the inner surface 43 of the groove 40, as illustrated by the marker member 10 shown in unbroken lines in FIG. 3. When the surfaces 50 and 43 are engaged, the axes A and B are substantially coaxial or collinear, and the body 53 of the marker 10 extends radially outward therefrom so as to be generally perpendicular to the axes A and B.

The marker member 10 can be removed from the golf tee 5 by performing the installation steps in reverse. In general, the marker 10 may be pushed or pulled downwardly along the length of the stem 20, until stem end 25 passes through the marker aperture 45. When the marker 10 is pushed downwardly on the stem 20, the body portion 50 flexes upwardly and the inner surface 55 is expanded. Then, after the stem 20 has been fully removed from the marker 10, the inner surface 55 relaxes. Once the marker 10 has been removed from the golf tee 5, it can be placed on the ground 35 of a putting green to mark the position of a player's golf ball 27 (FIG. 5), which is typically removed from the green while the golfer's opponent or partner is putting.

To place a golf ball 27 in position for a tee off procedure (see FIG. 4), also known as teeing off, the golfer holds the golf tee-marker 1 and a golf ball 27 in his hand 60, such that the golf tee stem 20 extends between two fingers 65, which curl under and contact the marker body 53, and the thumb 70 presses downwardly on the golf ball 27, which is engaged with the golf tee head 15. The golfer then inserts the stem 20 into the ground 30, such as by contacting the ground 35 with the stem bottom end 25 and pressing downwardly until the golf tee 5 extends upwardly from the ground 35 and the golf ball 27 is spaced a distance above the ground 35. After the golf tee-marker assembly 1 is inserted into the ground and the golf ball 27 is at a desirable height with respect to the ground 35, the golfer performs the tee off procedure by way of striking the ball 27 with a suitable golf club. After the tee off procedure is complete, the golfer can remove the golf tee-marker 1 from the ground 35 by grasping the golf tee-marker 1 in a manner similar to that described above, and pulling it upwardly out of the ground 35.

During a putting portion of the golf game, the golfer may mark the position of his golf ball 27 with the marker member 10 of the golf tee-marker apparatus 1. To remove the marker 10 from the stem 20 of the golf tee 5, the golfer grasps the head 15 in one hand and the marker 10 in the other hand, and then pulls the stem 20 through the aperture 45 of the marker 10. As described above, the marker body portion 50 flexed or bends so as to expand the aperture inner surface 55, thereby accommodating the greater diameter of the stem 20. Once the bottom end 25 of the stem 20 is free of the aperture 45, the marker 10 can be placed on the ground 35 to mark the position of a golf ball 27 (FIG. 5). To replace the marker 10 on the stem 20, the golfer performs the previously described installation steps (FIG. 3), such as by inserting the stem bottom end 25 through the aperture 45 until the aperture inner surface 43 stretches to accommodate the stem 20, and then pushing the marker 10 upwardly along the stem 20 until the surfaces 55 and 43 are engaged and the axes A and B are once again coaxial.

The above description discloses several methods and materials of the present invention. This invention is susceptible to modifications in the methods and materials, as well as alterations in the fabrication methods and equipment. Such modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of this disclosure or practice of the invention disclosed herein. Consequently, it is not intended that this invention be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but that it cover all modifications and alternatives coming within the true scope and spirit of the invention. It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown. 

1. A golf tee-marker apparatus, comprising: (a) a golf tee with a longitudinal axis, a golf ball supporting head, and an elongated stem extending downwardly from the head along the longitudinal axis and having a portion with a circular surfaced located about the axis between a top and bottom thereof and having a first diameter; the stem having a groove extending radially inward from the stem surface; (b) a flexible marker member with an aperture formed therethrough; the marker member aperture having a second diameter less than the stem surface first diameter; and (c) the marker member being received on the stem by deforming a portion of the marker member at the aperture and sliding the marker member along the stem until the aperture aligns with the groove and the deformed portion of the marker member extends into the groove in longitudinally spaced relation below the head with the stem extending through the aperture.
 2. A golf tee-marker apparatus according to claim 1 and including: (a) a groove formed about the stem in longitudinally spaced relation below the head; and (b) the marker member engaging the groove to thereby releasably retain the marker member on the stem.
 3. A golf tee-marker apparatus according to claim 1 and including: (a) a substantially circumferential groove formed about the stem in longitudinally spaced relation below the head; and (b) the marker member engaging the groove to thereby releasably retain the marker member on the stem.
 4. A golf tee-marker apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the marker member is formed of a flexible polymer.
 5. A golf tee-marker apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the marker member is a flat disk with the aperture formed therethrough.
 6. A golf tee-marker apparatus, comprising: (a) a golf tee with a longitudinal axis, a golf ball supporting head, and a stem extending downwardly from the head along the longitudinal axis, the stem having an outer surface and including a groove extending radially inward from the stem outer surface and spaced below the head and having a groove inner surface; and (b) a flexible marker member with a central aperture having a second diameter less than the stem first diameter and having a marker axis, the marker member being deformable about the aperture, so as to allow the marker to slide along the stem with the stem in the aperture, the aperture having a bore inner surface and being sized and shaped to receive the stem therethrough and to releasably engage the groove.
 7. A golf tee-marker apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the longitudinal axis is substantially coaxial with the marker axis when the groove and marker member are engaged.
 8. A golf tee-marker apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the bore inner surface engages the groove inner surface when the groove and the marker member are engaged.
 9. A golf tee-marker apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the marker member is formed of a polymer.
 10. A golf tee-marker apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the marker member is removable from the stem.
 11. A golf tee-marker apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the head is cup-shaped.
 12. A golf tee-marker apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the marker member is a flat disk with the aperture formed therein.
 13. A golf tee-marker apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the groove is a substantially circumferential groove.
 14. A golf tee-marker apparatus, comprising: (a) a golf tee with a longitudinal axis, a golf ball supporting head, and an elongated stem extending downwardly from the head along the longitudinal axis; the stem having a portion spaced from the head with an outer surface having a first diameter. (b) a substantially circumferential groove formed about the stem and extending inwardly from the stem surface in longitudinally spaced relation below the head; (c) a flexible flat, disk-shaped marker member having an aperture formed therethrough; the aperture having a diameter smaller than the stem surface first diameter; and (c) the marker member being deformable about the marker aperture so as to be receivable on the stem with the stem extending through the aperture, the marker member extending into the groove to thereby releasably retain the marker member on the stem.
 15. A golf tee-marker apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the marker member is formed of a flexible polymer. 